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PROS

CONS

AI a little weak; team-mates occasionally dive in to danger with no warning, enemies fail to intelligently defend themselves.

Deathmatch multiplayer lacks depth; basic run-and-gun variety.

Firing button can be twitchy; occasionally refuses to go full-automatic.

VERDICT

Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard may not be as polished and detailed in its gameplay compared to its console counterparts or even other recent releases by Gameloft, but it still stands up well as a portable version of a challenging tactical shooter.

Full Review

App Store Info

Having already shown their deft skills at producing great First Person Shooters on iOS devices, Gameloft have taken up the reins for the Rainbow Six franchise with the release of Shadow Vanguard. The focus on tactical awareness is much sharper than in previous titles like Modern Combat 2 and players will need to command a squad in order to carry out their missions with ghost-like silence.

Gone are the days of intense pre-mission setups requiring long tedious memorization of tactical maps, plans and multiple squads - though I'm not mourning the loss at all as players are given the opportunity to quickly assess situations and arrange their squad members optimally to take down enemies quickly and quietly. Being a semi-stealth title under the Ubisoft flag it's no surprise to see elements like the 'tag' system from Splinter Cell being implemented to give your team-mates priority targets when breaching doors and if you've played any other Gameloft FPS titles you can expect much the same setup for their general controls as they always use; that is to say, intuitive and well considered.

There are some chinks in this juggernaut's armor though and it's confusing to have to deal with poor detection for initiating cover when 'cover-based shooting' makes up the majority of game's situations. The graphical performance is also underwhelming at times with some levels dropping frames and making combat situations more difficult than usual, though this may be the price that's paid for the detailed visuals, effects and varied environments.

Also, it wouldn't be Rainbow Six without some multiplayer options and players can either jump in to a fairly vanilla Deathmatch style game with up to 9 other players or more pertinently, play the missions in a co-operative mode with two friends. It won't take long to complete the campaign with the AI or with friends, but the story is compelling enough to drag you along even if it is painted with broad strokes.

Shadow Vanguard is without a doubt an easy game to recommend to FPS fans and while the tactical style can be a bit more demanding than traditional shooters, casual gamers should find the controls easy to master as well.

Description

** 148Apps: “Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard is just all round great if you hadn’t already guessed.”
** SlideToPlay “Must have”: “If you want a tactical shooter in your pocket, you've come to the right place.”
For the first time on iPhone and iPod touch, enjoy a new FPS experience that allows you to lead a team of elite soldiers!
A global terrorist organization threatens the world balance. Only one team can prevent this: The Rainbow Unit!
These colors never run.

AN ICONIC BRAND FINALLY AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE
One of the most popular video game brands finally lands on your iPhone and iPod touch.

AN ORIGINAL TITLE WITH EPIC MISSIONS
Play 11 thrilling missions to defeat a dangerous and well-organized terrorist group.
Play recreated and enriched levels based on the original Rainbow Six game like the Embassy Hostage Crisis, an oil platform assault or the infiltration of a rebel camp in Africa.

Join a new Rainbow Unit complete with 3 new members, each with their own unique abilities like recon, demolition or stealth.

EXPERIENCE CO-OP AND A RICH MULTIPLAYER MODE
Join up to 2 friends and challenge the entire game together in Local and Online Co-op modes.
You can also go head-to-head with the best unit leaders in the world on 5 exclusive and thrilling maps in Multiplayer mode - up to 10 players.

THEY’LL NEVER SEE IT COMING
Infiltrate enemy compounds without them ever knowing you’re there thanks to a wide range of state-of-the-art gadgets. Use snake cameras to spy around corners, silencers to keep your kills discreet and many more covert tools and weapon upgrades.

BE THE LEADER OF AN ELITE UNIT
An exclusive real-time tactical system for iPhone that lets you lead your teammates through each level. Order them to cover, shoot or use grenades to clear rooms before an assault!
Warning: This game is not compatible with iPod touch 3G 8GB and older devices

Certain apps allow you to purchase virtual items within the app and may contain third party advertisements that may redirect you to a third party site.

What's New in Version 1.0.1

Screenshots

Comments

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BeatDown6 years, 5 months ago

Tom Clancy should venture more into console gaming.

iphoner6 years, 5 months ago

Tom Clancy's dead. but actually there are many clancy games available for major consoles (i.e. xbox, ps3 etc..) that are preety good.

talugo6 years, 6 months ago

Different. Nova is a straight FPS like HALO. Rainbow Six is a tactical shooter instead of run and gun. With two teammates, you have to complete missions. Some stealth, some shooting, some planning, the game has a little of everything. It is very similar to any of the titles in the entire series. I love it. Watch the video again, and maybe seek out some more gameplay videos, then make up your mind.